dinomyte

I'm not much of a climber, but I'm pretty damn good at jogging up piles of kitty litter! Although, a pile of graham crackers on top of a pile of kitty litter is kinda of a new one on me!

Sweet! But now everyone who watches that first vid knows that you haven't been to the true summit of Broken Top!

Reading this exchange reminds me that "great conditions" are sort of in the eye of the beholder. Having been up there when the traverse was totally snowcovered and totally bare, I can say that I prefer bare. The snow is so flat and featureless that it made it seem much more exposed, and although a couple of well-placed pickets and the boot track was comforting, it just felt a little more sketchy to someone with my level of experience. Getting to the bowling alley when it was a mix of ice, wet rock, etc. was not too pleasant, particularly when one of the team in front of me came off and ended up pretty banged up quite a few meters down. I have never been when the alley was absolutely covered with snow and ice. I guess that might be different, though I would probably find that pretty intimidating, personally. Though I would not want to infer that this was a walk in the park, I had overestimated it a bit. I had sort of built up expectations based on everything that I had heard before. But, other than a couple short sections of the traverse, the route didn't really give me much pause. Part of it was probably the company - it was great to go up with a few cool folks that were obviously skilled and experienced. It didn't hurt to have to two 60m ropes either!

I'm not into THAT steep of skiing, but I was jealous of letsroll earlier this year when he was blazing outta there on the sticks! Looked like a decently long run even starting from the SE ridge at about 7800 feet.

Yeah, what he said! Good to meet you guys. It was fun catching some rays up top with ya! Thanks for snapping the shots!

By the way, this is what Thayer looks like: Have at it!!

I told the other guys that I was gonna post a single picture TR, but I gotta say a bit more. Stephen, Jonathan, & Brad - Glad Kevin and I ran into you guys. It was fun. Here's to ya! I'll leave you guys to post all those sweet pics! 'Nuff Said!

Translation? Fat Chance? Or, I pity you for even venturing out on that choss heap?

Hah! When we finish this one, there's always the headwall route!

Heh! I only count 3. THe first was merely scouting. I brought nothing and fully intended NOT to try it! The second was 40 mph winds - I think you were there! The third, I was a bit unnerved by the guy falling, and my partner wasn't feeling it. Hopefully, we'll have a window Saturday morn. If all cooperates, and we summit, don't count on me ever going back!!

I actually meant SATURDAY at 3am - weather permitting.

If he had more than one post, I'd say:

Planning on heading out Friday 3am from Pole Creek. Let us know if anyone will be around, or if you've been up recently. Love some beta.

Gotta be careful, Doc. In Oregon, when many of us say "climbing" we mean mountaineering, as in "Hood, Sisters, Adams," etc. In Washington, they mean "whatever I can approach within 2 minutes of a freeway exit." Just kidding, WA folks! But seriously, shoot me a note. Might be game for a hill or two as training.

Wheeew! For a second I thought you lost a crappy Greek beer!

I like your style. I like your arms!

My Ipod has to have the most eclectic collection anyone has ever heard. A small sample - Air Supply, Mudvayne, Stevie Wonder, Death from Above 1979, Bread, Static-X, ABBA, Staind, Erasure, Seether, Dan Fogelberg, Cold, and the hits just keep on coming.....

Sorry to bail, but it looks like you might have a partner anyway. Friend in the area is outta town, so we won't be heading up. Have fun.

If you guys wanna party, do the major road trip to Husum, just north of Hood River but on the Washington side. Joel at Wind River Cellars is the shit! He'll show you a great time! No climbing, but jumping into a kayak or raft on the White Salmon is sweet. Views overlooking Hood.

Please give us some beta fellas! This bitch is still on the list. I will say that some ice patches have lasted pretty late into the seasons on the traverse in the past. I'd be pleasantly surprised if it was bare. Course, most say you should do it snow-covered anyway. Good luck guys.

Peter: A buddy of mine and I may join the hordes at the TH on Friday the 10th eve, for a Saturday hike up. We'd be coming from P-town and would normally offer a ride, though additional plans may require us to drive separately. If you're interested in hooking up with us, let me know. We usually have a couple pints and a brat or puck at the TH and prolly take off at 5:30 am or so for the walk up. We'd just do the one-day thing instead of the camp. More drinking to be done Saturday night!

Lizard, I totally understand. Although my post was directly after yours, I wasn't intending to reply to you. I was replying to the person who said "Just do it." My only point was that not knowing another person's experience, I would prefer not to say "Just do it" and I would not tell them what they should or should not take on the trip. I would personally feel better stating mountain conditions, telling someone what they are likely to encounter, and maybe even mention what I took with me on that or a similar climb. Although everyone should realize that they must all make good decisions based on their own knowledge and experience, I can't imagine how bad I would feel if I told someone to "just do something" that they were not prepared for, and something bad happened. I think the overwhelming majority of the posts do exactly that - they point out the hazards that Suomi is likely to encounter. He can make his own decisions, knowing whether he is prepared for the known challenges and whether he is willing to risk the uncontrollable. I simply wanted to caution the person who said "just do it." Certainly, that's a valid opinion and given Suomi's experience level it MAY be doable, I just personally wouldn't feel comfortable throwing out a comment like that. Not trying to be an ass or anything, I just tend to be cautious with the advice.

I hate to digress from the subject, but I think the "just go do it" advice is horrible, no matter if we're talking about soloing Rainier or Adams or anything. The same would go for saying "you don't need an axe or crampons." We know little about other's experience on here. I think it's always safer to say what the conditions are, and let the person make their own decisions. But probably better to dissuade than encourage. My $0.02.

EM: I was there in August 2005. TR HERE w/ photos: http://www.lebre.net/bt-thielsenlog.html Thielsen pics start at the 43 pic, which is actually numbered 20044. Hope that helps. Have a great time.

Well, since we are in Spray, I'll submit that I like a chest that I can feel while listening to my music!